Coal Slurry Pipelines: A Technology Assessment

Abstract

At the request of the Congress, the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) carried out an analysis of the potential economic, environmental, social, and legal-regulatory implications of coal slurry pipeline development. Major findings include: (1) under certain conditions slurry pipelines are the least costly mode for transporting coal; (2) the current regulatory framework does not insure an optimal choice between rail and pipeline from a societal perspective; (3) the introduction of slurry pipelines is not likely to affect materially the rate of coal resource development and use on a national scale; and (4) sufficient unused quantities of suitable water are physically present although not necessarily legally available for the operation of several slurry pipelines from Western coal-producing regions.